The goal must be a great World Cup

GARETH Southgate seems to be preparing the squad well and he is making sure they turn up drilled and rested. Belgium will be a tough challenge in the group stage – but I think we’ll get out. From there it is all to play for.

It is easy to dismiss this side as too young or too light on world-class players. But Harry Kane is at the top of his game and if your fallback striker is Jamie Vardy then you can’t be in the worst position.

It is easy to write off England before the first ball is kicked but to be honest we’ve got as good a chance as anyone. France, Germany, Brazil and Argentina don’t have the strongest squads, and from the quarter-finals onwards it is possible to get through on determination.

I think we have it – and I might even be willing to risk putting £10 on us winning.

Fred Birchnell, Leeds

England aren’t going to win the World Cup and I think if we all accept that then we’ll be happier and can get on with enjoying it more. Every four years we get so wrapped up in how good we’re supposed to be, but if we’re honest there is a reason we’re still talking about 1966 as our finest footballing hour. We don’t have a Messi, Ronaldo or a Neymar and too few English lads play in the Premier League. If we really want to take on the world in the future then we need to radically change how we structure the game. In top-flight English foot- ball the squad selection gets pretty thin on top players the further away from the stars you get.

If we want to win future tournaments we need to start training tomorrow’s team with that in mind now – and not let our footballing fortune be determined by the business of football’s bottom line.

David James, Liverpool

We’ve all spent months speculating about how far our boys are going to get at this year’s World Cup.

But with the tournament just hours away we need to stop worrying and look at the positives holding the team together. We’ve got a young energetic squad who seem hungry for a victory.

If we can get behind them then I’m sure we’ll do well – and while we might not win we can come home with our heads held high.

Susan Berry Southend-on-Sea, Essex

I hope that we’ll get to enjoy the World Cup as a festival of football and not anything else. But with all the reports of fans being told to prepare for the worst, I’m worried it will be marred by violence.

In 2016 when Russian thugs brutally attacked fans in the streets it was hard to focus on the games.

I can only hope that security is better for this tournament and that the brutes feel as if they have to behave on home turf.

Katie Wade, Oakham East Midlands

For those of us who aren’t interested in how well England do, this is still going to be a great World Cup. Personally, I’ll be backing Iceland – the smallest country to ever qualify for the tournament. England learned the hard way not to underestimate them at Euro 2016. Now no one expects them to win, but for them, every game they play will feel like they are lifting the trophy and that is something I can’t wait to watch.

Aled McCarthy, Rhayader, Powys